May 17, 2011
“Words Left Unspoken” Response Questions
1. What was Leah Hager Cohen’s earliest memory of her grandfather? Since she can’t sign and he’s unable to speak, how do they communicate?
Leah Hager Cohen’s earliest sing of her grandfather was his chin. She describes it long and pointy and sharp. Since she couldn’t sign and they couldn’t communicate they would play games with their hands. For example, they played slaps, then he would sandwich her hands, and they would play cards games, and he would do magic tricks with his nickels and make them disappear. This was their way in communicating.
2. What is the significance of the essay’s title? What do you think the “words left unspoken” are?
I believe the significance of the title is as the end of the reading when they were walking down the street and both thinking the same thing, but couldn’t express it except with the way they were walking and breathing they knew they both had the same feelings. Even though they couldn’t communicate they still loved each other times together and enjoyed what they could.
3. What do you think Cohen means when she says, “That was the longest conversation we ever had”?
I believe that was the longest conversation, because nothing was said nor played, it was more of a connection. Knowing the situation and knowing how the family felt they connected on a level they never have before knowing that she couldn’t sign. The connection and the feeling that they both had walking down the street was more than just a conversation it was a bond.
4. What figures of speech (see yesterday’s notes) does Cohen use in the essay?
Cohen used personification in a part of the story. When it mentioned the grandpa chewing on his food and he released a deep moan from the back of his throat and it sounded like a dog dreaming. He used a lot of expression also when she was describing his chin at the beginning of the reading, and how it was a chunk of honed granite this describes a simile as she’s describing it to a chin.
5. In the last paragraph, Cohen says that now, after her grandfather’s death, “everything seems like a clue.” What do you think she means by this? Do you think this is an effective way to end the essay? Why or why not?
I believe everything seems like a clue means to take life to the fullest limits. Even though she wasn’t able to communicate with signing she learned other ways to bond and communicates with her grandfather. I think that the clue is for her to learn and never limit herself, but live to the fullest and to pass this on. I also believe that she should be thankful for what communication she had with her grandpa and was able to spend time with him and have that connection in her life. I don’t think this is an effective way to end the reading, because it ended abruptly and left the reader questioning the story. I was somewhat confused, but after having this question it made me help understand what the clue meant to me.
Unspoken Essay
Family member Friend
1. Encouraging 1. Strong
2. Strong headed 2. Well Mannered
3. Speak their mind 3. Will be there for you
4. Truthful
Unspoken Essay
After reading the story “Unspoken” It reminded me a lot of my grandpa. My dad’s father lived up until he was 95 years old. He was a very stubborn hard headed man, but was a very strong, smart man as well. My grandpa worked as a train conductor throughout his life up until he retired. My dad was the baby of his family and there were many years between him and his older sisters. So to me my grandparents were older than some of my friend’s grandparents. We would always go over to my grandparent’s house after church and visit then we would go out to lunch. We were a close family I would sleep over on the weekends; we would get up early Saturday mornings and go to garage sales, then go out to lunch. After lunch in the late afternoon we would come home and he would tell stories, and we would nap and watch the baseball games that were on that day.
What made my grandpa so unique is he was a pack rat. He would buy most of his stuff from garage sales or Wal-mart and nothing would go to waste. He had a box in his car on the dash that he glued down and it would hold whatever he needed it to hold. He had to many nifty things around the house. He had his whole upstairs basically as his closet he had a string that went from the top of the stairs to the bottom that he would pull so the light turned on. At the end of the string was a cologne bottle that was empty. He was so creative and a hard working man. The way he did his daily routine each day, and the way he saved everything and made something out of something was so unique to me. He would go to lunch everyday walk around Wal-Mart come home and in the late evenings he would have a bowl of oatmeal every night at 8:20.
As I grew up and he got older it was harder to go and see him as much as I wanted too. He then got sick with leukemia and he was still able to do his routine, but the family had to drive him rather then drive himself. He didn’t care that he was sick he was still going to do what made him happy. He was staying about the same and me and my family had a trip we had planned at the end of summer and we were worried about leaving for a week and leaving grandpa, because we were over there close to everyday. My aunts said it will be ok its just a week and he wasn’t declining he was staying about the same. We went on our trip and halfway through it he started declining a little bit at a time and we were ready to come home and my aunts said no go ahead and stay we will keep you updated if things get worse. Well they got worse grandpa passed away through the middle of the night. It hurt us knowing we weren’t there, but we didn’t expect it to happen. It made me feel like I didn’t really get to say good bye, but in a way I did when we left. He was a stubborn man and knowing we were gone he didn’t want us to worry us, he passed. I believe this is a clue to me, because he knows my dad didn’t like seeing him like that and knowing how he was when he left and how he was when he was healthy was the way he wanted us to remember him. Even though he was stubborn he cared so much for our family and wanted the best for us. The reading can mean a lot and let the readers realize how lucky they really are in the end.
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